Category Archives: Handlebar Marketing

I’m doing a little different format this post. I think the book trailer is a great summary so I’ll let you watch that and then get on to the review!

If you’ve been following me for any length of time you know that romance isn’t usually my genre of choice. Too much yuck and not enough character development, all that sort of stuff. Having never read any Wanda Brunstetter books I wasn’t entirely sure what I was getting into, but based on the fact that the main character was a Quaker I was pretty sure it would be a decent read. And it was. There’s great character/story development but it does move a little slow for me. Admittedly, that’s probably just because I’m not used to the style.

What did I like about the book:

Clean romance. None of this hot and heavy stuff that people call romance. This was a true blue example of what real, pure romance is.

Great story line. Some parts did move a little slow but it was necessary for the character or story development.

The slowness didn’t take away from the book or make it hard to read.

All-in-all, I have a pretty good first impression of Wanda Brunstetter and her writing. While it’s not my first genre choice, and it was a little slow for me, I’d definitely pick up another of her books.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: The Point: The Redemption of Oban Ironbout follows Hollie and Goodwin Macbreeze on their journey to find something more. The two are led to the Isle of Estillyen because of a drawing from Goodwin’s past. While on Estillyen the Macbreeze couple takes part in several readings performed by the monks of the isle. Between readings, Goodwin meets Mr. Oban Ironbout and the transformation begins.

Review: My first reaction when I got the book to read was “Oh my, look at the font size! And there are a lot of pages…”. Once I started reading it did take me a good while to really get into the story. Honestly, I’d say it took about half the book. Reading the back cover there is mention made of John Bunyan, and I have to say that for me, I had a hard time reading John Bunyan and I had a hard time reading The Point. It isn’t that William E. Jefferson is a bad author, not at all. In fact he’s one of the better writers I’ve read in recent days. The problem was that this is what I call a “thinking book” and I wasn’t in the right frame of mind when I started.

I do have to say, once I got into it, I found myself wanting to be on Estillyen listening to a reading by the monks. I love how the readings pull you into the Bible stories they’re based on. There was also a point in the story where I had to wipe away a few tears because I connected with something in the story. The Point is a book about spiritual journey, and it’s a good one at that. It’s a different perspective on the spiritual journey, but it’s powerful all the same.

Who would I recommend this book to? Well, if you’re someone who likes reading John Bunyan or C.S. Lewis, I’d tell you to give it a shot. It might be a little rough at the get-go but it’s worth it in the end.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Handlebar Marketing in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received and all thoughts are my own.

This review is going to be a little different because it’s for an iPad app. With three small kids who love apps I thought, hey, this is a good app to try out. Bible stories, games based on Bible stories, etc. We downloaded it today and I have to say, the kids LOVE it! They sat and did puzzles and colored pictures and read through a couple of stories for at least two hours. (And I figured, why not? I’m opposed to them being excited about the Bible!) The app itself is free and comes with 6 stories from Genesis: “The Beginning”, “Adam and Eve”, “The Sneaky Snake”, “Noah’s Ark” (my kid’s favorite), “The Tall Tower”, and “A New Home”. There are also 6 activities, one for each story. Three coloring pages, two puzzles, and a game. Right now there is one additional story pack available for purchase for $1.99 that has 6 more stories and activities. Personally, I think this The Beginner’s Bible app is a great app for kids! I would love it if the extra content was free also but $1.99 isn’t bad.

Disclaimer: Handlebar offered a copy of The Beginner’s Bible in exchange for an honest review.

The Scene: Lamorlaye, France
The Time: WWII and 2001
The Story: A castle in Lamorlaye that is being occupied by the Nazis is being quickly evacuated. One young girl sneaks away with precious cargo, but does she make it off the castle grounds without being caught? Years later in 2001, an American architect named Becker arrives at the castle to start a huge renovation. Among those he meets are the interior designer, Therese, the client and his family, the Fallons, the Fallon’s nanny Jade, and a mysterious squatter named Jojo who lives in the gatehouse. What is the history of the castle and who, or what, is making all that noise at night? Becker finds the answers to those questions and more in the 11 weeks he spends working on the old castle.

The Review: I loved this book! I chose Tangled Ashes to review because it sounded like a book right up my alley. WWII, France, castles, a little bit of mystery. All the things I like wrapped up into one book. Having never heard of the author Michele Phoenix before I was a bit wary as to how the story would play out but I have to say, my worries weren’t warranted. The book is amazing. It’s written in such a way that you have to keep reading. You start out in the WWII years and the author brilliantly takes you up to a point where you’re not sure just what’s going to happen, Chapter One starts and boom, you’re in the present! Talk about cliff-hanger. The book goes back and forth between WWII and present day, but it’s not done in such a way that it’s confusing at all. WWII chapters are written in italics so that helps but also, you’re not taken back and forth within one chapter (not until the last chapters anyway, but by then it makes sense to do it like that). All-in-all, a really good book. It only took me a couple days to read, and that’s with three small children running around! If you like historical fiction and mystery, give Tangled Ashes by Michele Phoenix a try. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Oh, and one more thing before I go. The author has photos of the actual location(s) in the book on her website. If you want to look at them, click over here. I can tell you, I got goosebumps and tears just looking at them! It’s beautiful!

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from Handlebar in exchange for an honest review.